Together with the United Arab Emirates where both Emirates and Etihad operate the type, South Korea is one of the two countries in the world to have two airlines – Korean Air and Asiana Airlines – operating Airbus A380. While the two airlines are in the process of being merged, for the time being, they are separate.
In a separate article, I looked at the routes Korean Air’s A380 operates. While Asiana Airlines’ A380 fleet is smaller, it still offers multiple options when it comes to flying the Superjumbo. Continue reading to learn more.

Asiana Airlines A380 Routes
Given the limited number of active A380s that Asiana Airlines currently operates (see next section), there is only a handful of routes that are scheduled to be operated by the type in 2023. Namely, Asiana Airlines A380s will, at one point or another in 2023, connect Seoul Incheon with:
- Bangkok
- Frankfurt
- Los Angeles
- Sydney
While none of the destinations are scheduled to be served by the A380 year-round, Asiana Airlines A380s will be seen on more continents – Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia – than the Korean Air A380 which is not expected to serve Australia and Europe this year.
It’s also worth noting here that two of the destinations – Bangkok and Los Angeles – will see both Asiana Airlines and Korean Air A380s this year.

The destination scheduled to be served by Asiana Airlines A380 the most frequently this year is Los Angeles.
The A380 is scheduled to operate one of Asiana’s two daily rotations on the route (OZ202/OZ201) three times a week until the end of January. Then, the A380 will be deployed on the same rotation four times a week (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat). Finally, the A380 will fly to Los Angeles daily from March until October 28, 2023. In case you are wondering, after that, the route will be operated exclusively by Airbus A350 which is also the aircraft that now operates the non-A380 rotations.
Once the Asiana Airlines A380 stops flying to Los Angeles, it will be put on the airline’s sole daily Seoul Incheon – Frankfurt flight (OZ541/OZ542). The route is scheduled to be served by the A380 from October 29, 2023. Until then, it is scheduled to be operated by the A350.
Another route served daily by the A380 is Seoul Incheon – Bangkok. The type is scheduled to operate Asiana’s sole daily flight on the route (OZ741/OZ742) until October 28, 2023. Afterward, the flight will be downgraded to Airbus A330.
Lastly, the A380s appearance on the Seoul Incheon – Sydney route will be fairly short-lived. The aircraft will be deployed on the route for just over a month – between January 12, 2023, and February 28, 2023 – three times a week (Tue/Thu/Sun). The A380 will operate Asiana’s only daily rotation between the two cities, OZ601/OZ602. When not scheduled to be operated by the A380, the route is scheduled to be operated by Boeing 777-200ER.
Asiana Airlines A380 Fleet
Each year between 2014 and 2016, Asiana Airlines received a pair of Airbus A380s. As such, at its peak, it operated six airframes. Since then, however, the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic and, like other operators of the type, Asiana Airlines grounded its A380s.
As of the time of writing this article, three Asiana Airlines A380s are active:
- HL7625 (MSN 152, delivered in 2014)
- HL7626 (MSN 155, delivered in 2014)
- HL7640 (MSN 230, delivered in 2016)
Another one, HL7641 (MSN 231, delivered in 2016) was reactivated; however, it was ferried to Manila on November 10, 2022. While it is likely that the aircraft is simply undergoing maintenance, there is also the possibility of the aircraft not being returned to service.

Asiana Airlines A380 Seat Configuration
All Asiana Airlines A380s are in the same 495-seat configuration. The aircraft feature first class, business class, and economy class with 12, 66, and 417 seats respectively.
The main deck of Asiana Airlines’ A380s is equipped with 313 seats including:
- 12 in first class (1-2-1 layout)
- 311 in economy class (3-4-3 layout)
The upper deck is equipped with 172 seats including:
- 66 in business class (1-2-1 layout)
- 106 in economy class (2-4-2 layout)
While the aircraft technically feature first class seats – relatively spacious suites with doors – Asiana Airlines does not offer first class anymore. Instead, it branded those seats as “Business Suite” and makes them available to those who purchase select business class fares. In regular business class, which the airline now brands as “Business Smartium,” the aircraft is equipped with staggered seats.
Lastly, it is worth noting that like on other airlines’ A380s, Asiana Airlines’ economy class configuration is more comfortable on the upper deck where there are only eight seats per row compared to the main deck’s ten. There is also an extra storage compartment between the window seats and the wall of the aircraft on the upper deck.
In case you want to learn more about what it’s like to fly onboard Asiana Airlines A380, check my reviews of flying in economy class from Seoul to New York and business class from Tokyo to Seoul back when the aircraft used to operate on those routes.

Asiana Airlines A380 Retirement Plans
As mentioned earlier, when the pandemic started, Asiana Airlines grounded all of its A380s. While some were returned into service, two remain stored to this day:
- HL7634 (MSN 179, delivered in 2015)
- HL7635 (MSN 183, delivered in 2015)
Whether or not the two aircraft will be brought out of storage remains to be seen. However, in either case, most likely Asiana Airlines’ A380s will be around, at most, until 2026.
That’s because Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are going through a merger and, in an August 2021 interview with FlightGlobal, the former’s CEO, Cho Won-Tae said “the A380s will be leaving Korean Air’s fleet within five years, and the Boeing 747-8I fleet will also follow suit within ten years.” As such, if the airline doesn’t change its plans, Korean Air A380s will be retired by the end of 2026 at the latest.
Summary
Currently, Asiana Airlines has three active A380s. At one point or another, this year the aircraft type is scheduled to fly to airports on four continents. Namely, they are expected to be seen on flights between Seoul and Bangkok, Sydney, Los Angeles, and Frankfurt.
That said, with Asiana Airlines merging with Korean Air – and the latter having announced that it would be retiring all its A380s by 2026 – the days of Asiana Airlines A380s are numbered.
To see what other airlines operate the A380, check this article.